AIBU to quit my job during a pandemic and economic downturn?

[Waferbiscuit]

I am 50 years old and a senior manager in the public sector in a well paid job I've been in for 9 years. It's an interesting role but very demanding, requiring me to be 'on' a lot, working most evenings and on average 60+ hrs/week.

The problem is I don't think I can continue to keep up with the demands.

I am a single parent to 2 DCs (one primary school, one middle school) and don't have any family support close by. I have spent the last 8 years juggling working long hours in a demanding role and parenting and I am frankly burnt out. All I do is work, either at my job or in the home - I have no social life, I am barely spending any time with my children as I am working so much and I am exhausted.

This period WFH has made me realize how stretched I've been for so long. I don't think my employer will allow me to reduce my hours and if they did the work culture would mean long hours nonetheless. Financially I need a job but I have a second flat (previous marital home) that I could sell to tide me over.

I just want a year off to regroup and remind myself of who I was before I became a workbot. Am I crazy to do this at a time of so much economic uncertainty?

Just be really careful, unless you have some really specific specialised skills you will find it hard to get another job after turning 50.
I was in a similar position to you and started applying for part time jobs, didn’t even get an interview. Yes I did have my CV checked over by a specialist.
You will find age discrimination is alive and kicking.

Oh OP, it sounds really hard, I can relate, my job isn’t as many hours as you, it is weird shifts so I do get lots of time away from it but it is so super stressful when I am there and now they have offered redundancy which is £££, I’m sure I would pick something else up despite being 50 as I’m quite networked and good at what I do but I dunno if it will have the status or pay I get now.

Just tell your employer "I am exhausted from overwork , and want to go part time. If that is not possible, with regret I will hand in my notice".

Be really careful about doing this. If you threaten it, you HAVE to mean it.
I worked with someone who assumed they would get what they wanted by saying an almost identical thing. And they were very surprised when their notice was accepted immediately.

This culture of long hours is often self driven. I had colleagues like this who ultimately, didn't produce much more. In the public sector, nothing happens fast, so something done the next day is very rarely the end of the world and very often tasks done right away end up not required any way.

You say yourself that others don't do it including your boss, do it's not necessary to keep your job.

You most likely don't need to be so contentious and your u happiness and exhaustion probably means you're not as efficient anyway.

The suction is just to say to others, but most likely yourself first 'NO'.

Waferbiscuit If in HE then it would seem pretty obvious that you need to apply for either a sabbatical or a career break. It would seem the ideal solution. You get a break but have a job to return to. Perfect !

Yes you are insane. I'd never give up my solid NHS full time job and I'm 58.
The year off can wait. I did this once when my son was young, I was a single parent, in the 90's when jobs were scarce and lived to regret it, I almost lost my house, all my savings went and I couldn't get another job anywhere.
It was far more stressful than working full time.
I'd keep going until the country is more settled even if its a couple of years or plan for early retirement instead.